Tea party-backed rival to vie for House leadership

Idaho’s Labrador plans long-shot bid for majority leader.

Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho will challenge California’s Kevin McCarthy for the U.S. House leadership, a long-shot bid backed by some tea party groups pushing for a redstate Republican to become majority leader. The secretballot election for majority leader and other party posts is set for Thursday,

WASHINGTON — Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho will challenge California’s Kevin McCarthy for the House leadership, a longshot bid backed by some tea party groups pushing for a red-state Republican to become majority leader.

Labrador said Friday he was jumping into the race because the message from Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s unexpected loss in his Virginia primary this week was that “Americans are looking for a change in the status quo.”

“Americans don’t believe their leaders in Washington are listening, and now is the time to change that,” said Labrador, a second-term Republican who was elected on the 2010 tea party wave.

“I want to create a vision of growth and opportunity for everyone and start getting to work for the American people.”

The race is McCarthy’s to lose, House vote counters agree, but some outside groups, including FreedomWorks and the Campaign for Liberty, urged Labrador to challenge the Californian, whom they view as not sufficiently conservative.

“Americans deserve a choice in leadership, and thanks to Raul Labrador, Republicans don’t have to settle for the next guy in line,” FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said.

The secret-ballot election for majority leader and other party posts is set for Thursday.

The House’s most conservative members have frequently expressed a desire for leadership that would more directly reflect their views.

But although red-state conservatives make up a majority of the House Republicans ranks, they have been unable to organize themselves into a governing force. The splintering in their ranks has thwarted efforts this week to challenge McCarthy.

Two other Republicans, Texas Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Pete Sessions, passed on the opportunity to run, despite enthusiasm from fellow members of the large Texas delegation.

The four-term McCarthy is not the first choice among the most conservative lawmakers, but his affable personality and ability to foster relationships have put him on a path for a fast rise to the majority leader spot — a position never before held by a California Republican.